| Chinese mantis | |
|---|---|
| Chinese mantis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Mantodea |
| Family: | Mantidae |
| Genus: | Tenodera |
| Species: | T. sinensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Tenodera sinensis |
|
The Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) is a species of praying mantis. Originating from China, they were first introduced to North America around 1895 as a source of pest control. Since then, the species has spread throughout much of southern New England, and the Northeast United States, and ootheca can be purchased from plant nurseries nationwide. The Chinese mantis looks like a long and slender praying mantis, with different shades of brown. It is typically larger than most other mantises, growing up to 10 cm (4 inches) in length, and is the largest mantis species in North America. This species is often erroneously given the taxonomic name of Tenodera aridifolia sinensis; when first classified, it was thought that T. sinensis was a subspecies of T. aridifolia but this is not the case.[1]
Their diet consists primarily of other insects, though adult females can sometimes take down small vertebrate prey such as reptiles and amphibians (some have also been documented preying on hummingbirds[2]). Like some other mantids, they are known to be cannibalistic. The female can produce several spherical ootheca roughly the size of a table tennis ball, containing up to 200 eggs. The ootheca are often affixed to vegetation such as bushes and small trees, as seen in the image below.
Their color can vary from overall green to brown with a green lateral stripe on the edge of the front wings. In low light the eyes of the mantis appear black, but in daylight appear to be clear, matching the color of the head.
Contents |
Chinese mantids are one of the more popular mantises in the pet hobby. Chinese mantids in particular make great pets, and need little care. Anywhere between a two and a half and a ten gallon tank or small-screened cage will do. One cricket about every other day is all they require for nourishment. Mantids drink by lapping up dew from leaves, so a gentle misting every other day or so will suffice. After being handled a few times, the mantids will allow handling without objection as long as you move slowly. Being docile by nature, a mantis will often stay perched on a houseplant, bedrail, or piece of furniture for hours at a time, cleaning themselves and keeping a careful watch for the slightest movement, and so can be allowed out of the cage under supervision. Mantids are watchful, curious, fastidiously clean predators and will even eat wet catfood if offered to them on forceps. They typically live under one year, and only for a month or two as winged adults, but breed easily in captivity.
Although formidable, the chinese mantis is preyed upon by the Asian giant hornet in its native range. Despite being larger than the hornet, the mantid's only defenses are its front grasping legs and its biting mouth, which cannot penetrate the hornet's armor. The hornets have a much larger pincer-like mouth that can decapitate the mantid and a powerful sting.
Developed in the Shandong province of China in the mid-1600s, Praying Mantis kung-fu is based on the quick movements and techniques of the Chinese mantis. An unrelated style of kung fu that was developed by the Hakka people in southern China is known as Southern Praying Mantis.